AgVoice | Enrapture - Gleanings from Adasia 2011

I am not going to talk about what happened, what was good and what was not. Instead I will focus on the one observation which has been playing up the most in my mind. And this observation is most relevant to us in the communication business. Enrapture - to fill with delight.

All those who attended the event or followed it would agree that while some sessions and event held us spellbound others just left us cold and wondering. This led me to ponder. What fills us with rapture. What can we learn from the collective display of styles.

Don't get me wrong. All the speakers, presenters, panelists and performers were leading luminaries. Each one of them has great credentials and I am certain highly capable people. Yet some of them stood out in our minds. Some I savour till now, while others are forgotten. I am not about the comment on individual performances. Rather focus on the collective learning.

First observation is clearly stage presence. While some people are instantly attractive, some full of charm but most great leaders hold audience attention with sheer exuberance of power and passion.

Second is the honesty with which a person expresses their ideas. While some spoke from deep down in their hearts while others relied on knowledge and showmanship. The heartfelt almost always touches the heart.

Loud voice and rhetoric almost always lost to soft spoken confidence. Being a master of your subject is far more important than emphasis.

Less is more. Focus on core ideas left an indelible impression while too much "gyan' confused. Repeating helps retention.

Presentation aids do not add to the presentation. Often take away. Many speakers brought a lot of material to share, with nothing to remember while others just stood alone and left an indelible impression.

Being in the present. Thinking on the feet. Call it what you may, but it's important to be aware of what's going on. Being over rehearsed is probably not such a good idea. Things could change and adaptability to the situation is extremely important.

A combination of fact, humour and passion is far more important than being an expert. After all the audience is human and they tend to react more from their hearts than minds.

Say new things. Say things in a new way. Clichés are just that, clichés.

Some presenters held us enraptured right through, some went through highs and lows while others failed to connect right from the word go. Language, accent, dress were of no consequence.

Finally communication is all about enrapturing. When we are making a presentation or when we are talking to our consumers. If we start thinking of our enrapture quotient, we will meet better success.

Next time I am making a presentation or a campaign, I will evaluate myself on a simple enrapture score on a scale of 10. I don't think it needs any major science. One just knows.

To me Swami Sukhabodhananda was a 10 on my enrapture scale. That's going to be my benchmark when I work on my score which probably is at a 1 right now.

I leave it to you to score the others and yourself. | By Alok Agrawal, COO, Cheil WW, SW Asia

About the writer:

Alok Agrawal is the COO of Cheil WW for SW Asia. Agrawal has rich and varied experience over 2 decades in advertising, branding, communication and marketing services. In the past he has lead startups managed mergers & acquisitions including massive diversification and new service expansion. He has the reputation of launching numerous reputed Indian and global brands in India. The man is driven by zeal to enhance brand consumer relationships, using the latest tools and techniques of marketing and branding.